​Acting Chief Youth Development Officer Gregory Riviere has announced that a multi-purpose media centre is soon to be completed at the Marigot youth Centre.
 
Riviere was speaking at the 44th Graduation ceremony of the Youth Skills Training program recently.
 
He said UNICEF has donated over EC$40,000 to provide the youth with training in media related programs.

​Acting Chief Youth Development Officer Gregory Riviere

​Housing Minister Reginald Austrie is issuing a call for the Private Sector to partner with Government to assist with the housing needs of the country's citizens.
 
The Minister says there is a great need for the Private Sector's involvement in the Housing Program.
 
He says Government alone cannot fulfil the housing needs in Dominica.

​Housing Minister Reginald Austrie.

​Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and the Environment Davis Letang has called on the public to integrate climate resilient practices for the enhancement of national development.
 
Letang was speaking at the 3rd annual pilot program for climate resilience (PPCR) validation consultation which got underway Monday at the Fort Young Hotel.
 
The consultation was organized by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project (DVRP).
 
The purpose of the consultation was to validate progress made by Dominica for the reporting period January - December 2016 on the integration and mainstreaming of climate resilience into national planning.

​Health & Environment Ministry PS Davis Letang
 
Meantime, DVRP Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist Nadette Langford said, Dominica has made progress towards incorporating climate resilience into national planning.

​DVRP Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, Nadette Langford.

​Opposition Leader Lennox Linton says United Workers Party proposals for electoral reforms, were formally sent to the Office of Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, long before Parliament met on 23rd May, 2017.
 
He contends that in his recent address, Mr Skerrit appeared to have had the intent of deceiving the nation, into believing that the opposition had not submitted any document to him, or the electoral office, as regards their ideas for Electoral Reforms in Dominica.
 
Linton says, one of the main examples outlined by the UWP in their proposals, is the need for an accurate register of voters, where all eligible voters will be re-registered, thereby creating a new list which genuinely reflects the correct voter population.

​Meanwhile, Linton is once again expressing concern over the conduct of House Speaker Alix Boyd-Knights.
 
Linton says since the commencement of her engagement in 2000, she has failed to conduct the affairs of parliament in an effective manner, which allows fair contributions from all members of parliament.
 
The parliamentary opposition have over the years’ expressed concern, over not being allowed to effectively make fair contributions to the proceedings of parliament, which has in the past resulted in them walking out on several occasions.

​A poll conducted by Alex Bruno has shown that the Dominica Labour Party will retain power if a general election were to be called now.
 
The nationwide scientific electoral poll of Dominican electors was conducted during April 2017 and sought to gage the electability of declared political party candidates if elections were to be held during polling period.
 
The poll, which concentrated on 13 out of the 21 constituencies also revealed that the United Workers Party is gaining support.
 
Bruno made public the results of the poll on Monday morning.

​This is not the first poll to be conducted by Bruno. In 2016, he conducted a by-election poll for the Soufriere Constituency in which the results were accurately predicted, down to the margin of victory.
 
Meanwhile, Political Science PhD Student Alex Bruno defends his poll results, after conducting a national political poll in Dominica, to determine the opinions of the electorate, if general elections were held today.
 
Speaking on Q95FM Radio yesterday, Bruno said he used his personal resources to conduct that research, and emphasized that he was not paid or bribed by any individual or political party, to conduct that major research project.
 
It did not come as a surprise to Bruno, that the results of the poll would not have received some scepticism from some quarters, and sides of the political divide. He said he expected some scepticism, especially from those who did not see some aspect of the results as being favourable to their political side in one way or other

The Government of Dominica has invested over $200,000 towards the funding of a Project Management Unit during the construction phase of the new National Hospital.
 
That's according to Health Minister Dr Kenneth Darroux.
 
Dr Darroux commended the job which has already been done by the unit, as it relates to reporting to the Government, on the progress being made on the new hospital. 

​Minister for Health Kenneth Darroux

​Opposition Leader Lennox Linton takes issue with PM Skerrit labelling protestors against amendments to Dominica’s electoral laws as ‘mob-like rioters’. He also accused the Prime Minister of attempting to turn free expression in a democracy into an offence.
 
Linton told a press conference last week, “Regrettably citizens of the Commonwealth of Dominica peacefully protesting to secure their right to elections, with integrity as a backbone of our democracy, are being categorized by the Prime Minister as ‘mob-like rioters, acting at the behest of their leaders, and whose street protest, lawlessness and violence, are intended to black eye Dominica in the regional and international world, with un-Dominican behaviour”.
 
In an address to the nation last Thursday, Skerrit said a dangerous precedent was being set in Dominica, whereby expression of views by some, is almost always accompanied by street protests, lawlessness and violence. He described this as “un-Dominican”, and appeared to lay the blame at the feet of the opposition United Workers Party.
 
However, Linton said “All around the world, in America, England, Canada, Africa, Brazil, Venezuela, China, St Lucia, Antigua, St Kitts & Nevis, Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad & Tobago, citizens stand for their rights and take to the streets in protest, against unacceptable government action. In Dominica, Skerrit is shamefully playing victim in his never ending thirst for public sympathy. He is hell bent on turning this basic form of free expression in democratic society, into an offence, under false claims that it is foreign to our political & cultural landscape, and all of this is being done to malign members of the opposition”.

​A contract valued at over $700,000 has been awarded for Phase I of the Platma Pier Housing Infrastructural Project, which will reportedly benefit 12 families.
 
The contract was awarded to Holford Vidal in the sum of $720,125.04 for a 16-weel period.

The official contract signing was held Friday at the conference room of the Ministry of Finance.
 
MP for the Colihaut constituency Catherine Daniel explained the delay in the Platma Pier Housing Development.

MP for the Colihaut Constituency Catherine Daniel
 
Meantime, Housing Minister Reginald Austrie said it will cost in excess of $3Million overall to relocate the 12 families.

​Housing Minister Reginald Austrie

​The Dominica Freedom Party believes that the adjournment of parliament on Friday May 26, 2017 without further consideration of other matters which were on the order paper, including the amendment to the electoral Act, was the only course of action to avoid confrontation on this dangerous path by the Dominica Labour Party Administration, to undermine democracy in Dominica saying that the disrespectful and dictatorial behaviour of Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, supported by members of his cabinet, must come to an end, in the interest of peace and goodwill among the people of Dominica.
 
The DFP says it is looking with great interest for the engagement of all stakeholders for discussions, to arrive at consensus for real amendment to the electoral Act, that will modernize and improve the electoral process in Dominica, which certainly cannot include making it legal for political parties to finance the transportation of persons into Dominica to vote.
 
The DFP says Prime Minister Skerrit misled the nation by saying in his address on Thursday, May 25, 2017, that the Opposition had not made recommendations for electoral reform in Dominica saying that this is viewed as a deliberate attempt by the Prime Minister to deceive the people of Dominica, the region and International community, and says this level of untruth can only create further distrust, confusion and disunity among the people of Dominica.
 
Opposition parties have been vocal in requesting electoral enforcement and reform to the election laws ever since irregularities surfaced in the 2005 general election in Dominica. In addition, regional and international election observers made recommendations of a similar nature to those proposed by the Opposition political parties.
 
The Dominica Freedom Party says it emphatically rejects the current proposed amendment to the electoral Act, which is viewed as an attempt to legalize bribery and treating and calls on the people of Dominica, irrespective of political affiliation to stand firmly against this attempt to undermine democracy in Dominica. 

​A Murder Charge which was laid last week against Ron Garth Jolly, in the death of Kent Albert Lewis of Pointe Michel, was changed to Manslaughter today May 29, 2017, by prosecutors.  Lewis died of a gunshot wound to the neck, at a bar in Pointe Michel on Saturday, May 19, 2017.
 
The manslaughter charge was read to him, but he was not required to enter a plea. The prosecution did not object to bail, which was set at EC$50,000.00, however, Jolly will need to get a property surety to guarantee his release.
 
In the event that bail is secured and he is released from custody, Jolly must obtain permission to get a passport (since he does not have one at present), and he must also seek permission to leave the state. He must also inform the court and the police of any change of address, within 72 hours prior to his decision.
 
Additionally, he must report to the Roseau police station every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and must not interfere with any witnesses in the matter who are known to him, and he must be on good behaviour.
 
The matter is set for hearing on 3rd July 2017. Jolly is represented by Wayne Norde and Kondwani Williams.